I need a second - Bilstein, Gaz or......

[petrolhead]

Hello gang, your views please.......

 

As some of you know I recently re-built the front World Cup Bilstein struts for my 4 door Mk2 (fast road car). I am happy with the handling and it proved itself at the recent North Weald sprint event where it came one second behind a Series 2 Elise and beating cars with double the power.

 

However, I am using the original 33year old leaf springs that are sagging and Spax rear dampers that are probably 20years old. (I don't really notice any difference if I change it from soft to hard).

 

I am tempted to go for 260/60 Bilstein rear dampers as I know the quality of these shocks are superb but on the other hand they are double the price and non-adjustable (do you need to adjust on perfection?). I also suspect that I might not any noticeable improvements from replacing the rear spings, they still 'spring' and whatever effective spring rate they are at now, it seems to work.

 

There is the old saying "if it aint broke don't fix it". What do you lot think?

[SLYMAN]

I would try AVO or Gaz adjustables first? the rear Ghia springs are 116lbs i think? not sure? but you could go decambered and bin lowering blocks to stiffen up rear and eliminate tramp?

 

Or we could come up with a 4 link system, bin leaves, use original pickups without cutting floor and mount coilovers to axle (attached to rear of axle case)

 

try dampers first? do spax offer a freshen up!?

[GJUK]

I've got some GAZ coilovers, happy witht he quality, not driven the car with them on though. once you price it all up they are quiteresonable. I had to send them back for repainting though.

 

Found Avo shocks ive bought before to squeak.

 

J

[Tom]

My rears are AVO bud I've not had any problems with them (nor have I ever adjusted them since fitting) although the adjusters are very stiff now!

 

I would've thought new standard springs would be a good move

[vibrating_Cake]

gaz for me had them nearly 2 years now, and recently adjusted them to make them softer for the hour and a bit drive down to alton towers and back and the adjusters are still fine and make a massive difference still

[petrolhead]

Cheers, I appreciate the ideas. Looking at the Gaz they do seem very good value for money and I haven't heard a bad thing about them yet.

 

I really wouldn't want to go into all the time and effort 4 linking or rear coilover-ing the rear. I don't think it is necessary on a low-powered road car like mine. Its just extra weight and may well perform worse. For a Cossie yes, but I think people get a bit to carried away changing what is fundamentally a good thing for very little gain. I have never noticed axle-tramp as a problem so I will leave the anti-tramp and panhard as it is.

[SLYMAN]

My rears are AVO bud I've not had any problems with them (nor have I ever adjusted them since fitting) although the adjusters are very stiff now!

 

I would've thought new standard springs would be a good move

 

Tom, I was giving info on the spring poundages Matt has, not sure if it's correct

[petrolhead]

Found Avo shocks ive bought before to squeak

 

I think Tom was addressing the point above

[SLYMAN]

 

I would've thought new standard springs would be a good move

 

This bit I think he meant leaf springs, just giving OE poundage as a guide.

[Tom]

Si you always think i'm giving you stick!

 

I put hard rear springs on mine (146lb I think) on the same blocks I had on my originals and it looked like it was still on the jack.

 

You saying standard ones were 116lb made me think that new standard ones may be a better move than heavier ones as Matt's car seems to handle well on the old saggy ones.

 

 

chill out geezer

[petrolhead]

ahhh, the missing link - that is why yours is so tail happy! You never told me that. Get some old saggy ones on there pronto, they may well drop yr 1/4 mile time too as the car will squat back easier.

[SLYMAN]

Si you always think i'm giving you stick!

 

I put hard rear springs on mine (146lb I think) on the same blocks I had on my originals and it looked like it was still on the jack.

 

You saying standard ones were 116lb made me think that new standard ones may be a better move than heavier ones as Matt's car seems to handle well on the old saggy ones.

 

 

chill out geezer

 

Hahaha, Im chilled mate! I just thought you missed my angle, silly billy

 

the ghia springs are quite sort after I think for that reason. Would help squat. moving the damper behind the axle would improve efficiency angle (for drag racing)

[Tom]

What, leaving the top mount in the same place? Or do you mean moving both mounts behind?

 

Can leaf springs br reconditioned?

[SLYMAN]

What, leaving the top mount in the same place? Or do you mean moving both mounts behind?

 

Can leaf springs br reconditioned?

 

welding two extra mounts (body/axle) try it, if works keep, if not you just have brackets.

 

I don't know if the metal can be re-tempered? Im sure there is a company that does them?

 

The Capri 2.8 rear leafs should fit on the Mk2? they are 50mm wide though, I think the Mk2's are 60mm?

[vibrating_Cake]

iirc you can have them de-cambered and re-tempered but finding places that can actually do that nowadays is rare, as the capri iirc is the last car to use leaf-springs out of nearly all the manufacturers (bar chevrolet) but all theirs are all yankee bound!